The I-Time Media Observer

What’s iCurrent?

Gigaom.Com’s Liz Gannes recently introduced the site’s readers to “ iCurrent, a personal information delivery service from entrepreneur Ramana Rao, formerly of Inxight Software and Xerox PARC.” See “iCurrent Wants to Personalize News for the Masses.”

According to Gannes, “What iCurrent does is filter the millions of news stories and blog posts produced every day into one page of must-read items. Rather than rely — like a feed reader does — on a selection of sources to produce and curate content, it keeps you up to date on your favorite topics,’she reports.

It sounds like a good idea for those interested in reading a limited number of narrowly focused topics. The question is can iCurrent’s creators successfully market the service to their targeted office. According to Gannes, Rao’s “target audience lives in Ohio and reads USA Today.”

Technorati Tags: iCurrent,Ramana Rao,Liz Gannes,Gigaom.Com

Old Media at the Crossroads

Reuters reporter Yinka Adegoke reported November 27, 2009, that, “The growing influence of the Web to distribute news, video and other content, combined with the lingering economic malaise, have left many media executives and investors uncertain about where to make their next bets.” See “Media business at crossroads as deals pick up.” According to Adegoke:

The dilemma boils down to whether a modern media company should focus on building content at scale, or if it also needs to own the pipes to deliver that content.

Adegoke said, “What worries media companies is that Wall Street will rethink their stock valuations if content becomes widely available on the Internet for free, or close to free.” Translation: Major media outlets are worried that if they don’t prevent the free distribution of content, it will be universally viewed as a commodity.

Technorati Tags: Yinka Adegoke,Reuters,Media Business,Content as a Commodity